Where did the idea for rubberband balls come from? History has it that the anchient Aztecs are the ones who started all of this madness. They have grown in popularity since then, tenfold. Although they have gotten to me much more popular on the whole, the rubberband ball craze of the late 80's died down through the 90's. Now, in the 2000's, its popularity is picking back up again. Rubberband balls are coming back, and with a vengence! Don't be left out in the cold, they are extremely easy to make, and even easier to buy. They are great toys to have around on the desk. They can be great stress relievers and an awesome way to distract yourself for a few minutes. If you are really intrested in checking out rubberband balls, I recommend checking out wikipedia for more info.
The easiest way to start a rubberband ball is to grab a sheet of paper, printer paper, binder paper, toilet paper, whatever kind of paper you please, and crumple it into a wad. The next step is to wrap a rubberband over it. Then you wrap another...and another. This process is basically rinsed and repeated until you are happy with the result. Don't be discouraged if it takes you a while to cover up all of the white of the paper. This is where people generally realize it takes a lot of effort to create a rubberband ball. It will take longer than you think. In reality, it can take up to a week to build a decent rubberband ball. The really serious rubberband ball builders like to start with a rubberband tied into a knot. This makes the rubberband balls much more bouncy than they would be if you started with a wad of paper. The core makes a difference!
In the big picture, rubberband balls are a great investment! Just think about how many people are going to be interested in it. There have been many rubberband balls sold on ebay for loads of cash. They are very cheap to make, but not everyone has the patience to create them. People want the easy way out. I knew someone who paid $100 dollars for a gigantic rubberband ball once! Yes, people are that serious about their rubberband balls! If you are one of those people looking to just buy one instead of make one, then try your local craigslist listings, and definitely try ebay. I don't sell any rubberband balls, but I can't say the thought doesn't cross my mind sometimes!
There are several ways to spice up your rubberband ball and differentiate it from the rest of the rubberband balls out there in the world. If you are going to sell them, this is a way you can leave a signature on your work. One way is to use rubber bands of different colors. Some just like to stick with the standard beige, but a lot of people like to mix it up with lots of colors. I know one person who color codes their rubberband balls by size. If she is using red rubberbands to make her ball, I know it is going to be huge! Personally, I use a variety of colors to spice mine up, and I don't really follow any particular color code. After making a few, you will start to realize how many rubber bands it will take to build rubberband balls of different sizes. This is how you know you are a pro! It's easy to do, but it can be very time-consuming...so be ready to fire up that iPod! I once spent an entire Saturday building a huge rubberband ball (which my niece is now in possesion of). I have uploaded several pictures of my rubberband balls to photobucket and flickr. The best thing about making rubberband balls is the sense of accomplishment. After building it, you have a tangible, bouncy, and beautiful rubberband ball to show off to friends, family, and co-workers. Some organizations actually hold rubberband ball speed tournaments to see who can build the best rubberband ball the fastest. There are various categories such as overall size, color coding, color pattern, advanced geometrical shapes, and bounciest ball.
It took me a week to build my first rubberband ball. Since then, I've built some monster rubberband balls...and you can too! If I had started with a packet of rubberbands, I would have finished making my rubberbband ball much faster, but I built mine up over time. If you get the newspaper or something, you can slowly build a big and powerful rubberband ball! This is the slow and steady wins the race method. However, if you just want to make something now, then I recommend you go out and buy a a few packets (each with a couple hundred rubberbands), sit down for an hour, and make the biggest, baddest, rubberband ball you can! Can you imagine how large your rubberband ball will be if you build it up for a few years? I don't know how big the largest rubberband ball ever made is, but the only limitation is how stretchy the rubberbands are, right!? Rubberband balls can be very interesting if you view them in the right light. Not everyone has one. Not everyone likes to make them. But everyone likes to see them.
Rubberband balls are great for a many number of things. Some people like to make them to pass time. Some people like to make rubberband balls to keep all of their rubberbands in a fun and easily accessible place. Some people just like to have a fun ball to bounce around. Whatever the reason, even if it isn't listed here, you've come to the right place! At this page, you will learn how to go about making a rubberband ball. Believe it or not, there are actually whole communitites based around building rubber band balls. If you are looking for advanced techniques for building rubberband balls, then you may have to go somewhere else. However, if you are looking for a simple and quick way to build a rubberband ball, with minimal time and effort, then just follow these instructions to be on your way. Happy rubberband ball building!
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